Nissan is sending more juice to its electric-vehicle sales efforts following disappointing demand forits all-electric Leaf.

The company says all "zero emission vehicle planning and strategy" will now fall under Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga's responsibility. EV division corporate vice president Hideaki Watanabe will leave Nissan to become senior vice president at supplier Calsonic Kansei Corp.

Nissan is hoping Leaf demand will surge this year now that it has started US production in Tennessee. Through February, sales were up 13 percent from a year earlier but totaled just 1,303 units. For all of 2012, Leaf sales in the US were less than half the 20,000 units Nissan had earmarked. In fact, Nissan's Francois Bancon, in a recent interview with Reuters, says Leaf demand "isn't where we thought it would be," and that the company was "in a very uncertain phase, and everyone's a bit lost." Nissan in January reduced the price of the 2013 Leaf by $6,400 to a base of $28,800.

Hiroto Saikawa, Executive Vice President, Purchasing and Chairman of the management committee for Asia, Oceania and Japan is appointed concurrently Chief Competitive Officer. Manufacturing, supply chain management, R&D, and total customer satisfaction will now report to Mr.Saikawa.

Hideaki Watanabe CVP zero emission business unit is appointed SVP electronics business unit, for Calsonic Kansei

About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 248,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4.9 million vehicles in 2012, generating revenue of 9.4 trillion yen ($US118.95 billion) in fiscal 2011. With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of 64 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero-emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades, including the prestigious 2011-2012 Car of the Year Japan and 2011 World Car of the Year awards.

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